WOW..... Rachel has done it again. There is just something about Sergio that makes my heart rate spike and the little hairs on the back of my neck stand. We all know what happened in Elude. If you haven't read it, then I suggest you do. But let me warn you, bring a box of tissues and I mean a BOX.

In Empire, Sergio is faced yet again with an arranged marriage. At first I shook my head and was like, WTF...... Can't Sergio find love on his own. He is quite the catch... right? But as the story unfolded I saw why it had to be this way. Even though Sergio was battling the demons of his past, he needed to find a way to move on with his future. We all know that is what Andi wanted.

So...... let's discuss the twist and turns. It wouldn't be a Rachel Van Dyken novel if it didn't have them. I have to say, I sort of had an inkling of who I thought was behind the letters that were being sent. I absolutely LOVED the letters. I can't say anything more without spoiling it for you.

All I will say is, ELUDE and EMPIRE are must reads. Rachel will have you turning the pages quicker than you can read. You will want to know what happens next with Sergio and his new "bride" hahahaha.....

Get one clicking..

About Rachel
Van Dyken:

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,
and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When
she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting
her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband,
adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers! Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text
MAFIA to 66866!

Bingo. I smiled. “Funny, that’s
what Dante says to me all the time. Just think of all the things you get to
look forward to. Isn’t that what you said you wanted?”

Sergio looked ready to strangle
me. “No. I don’t believe I asked for an annoying little sister, but if that’s
what you’re offering, please don’t let me stop you. Just know, I won’t hesitate
to put you over my knee if you get out of hand.”

To say that I scrambled out of
the car like a kid running away from her kidnapper would be a gross
understatement, but the minute my feet hit the pavement, I paused.

My body told me to run.

The guy had pulled a gun.

On me.

I didn’t even watch violent
movies, I’d just panicked and said the first thing that popped into my head!

And I was about to go to the
theater with a guy who probably showered in blood on a daily basis and by the
looks of it — got off on it.

Shivering, I forced myself to
take a deep breath and wrapped my jacket tighter around my body.

That was the thing about men like
Sergio, or maybe just loyalty in general. He’d promised he would keep me safe,
but I wondered if that promise was only extended until I was more trouble than
I was worth.

I was safe, not because of what I
was to him.

But because of who my dad had
been to him.

I was nothing.

And yet, a part of me still
yearned to be… something.

Anything really.

Pathetic.

“Change your mind?” Sergio’s
smooth voice interrupted my thoughts. He was the type of man you felt even when
he wasn’t speaking. His presence was impossible to ignore, kind of like his
ridiculous good looks.

Weren’t mafia guys supposed to be
old?

Fat?

Chain smokers who bought Cuban
cigars and sat behind large desks while counting money and ordering hits on
people who pissed them off?

“No.” I finally found my voice.
“I was just thinking….”

“About?” His hand touched my
back, ushering me forward, but not pushing, almost as if he was giving me the
option of still saying no.

I increased my pace so that I
couldn’t feel the warmth of his fingertips. “Popcorn.” I turned and winked,
hoping it would hide the fact that my body was shaking.

Maybe I was the crazy one.

Because he was armed.

The man was armed.

And he had no qualms about
pointing his weapon at me whenever I got too close.

Huh, we’d have a happy marriage.

I guess we’d never argue, since I
liked living.

And, you know, breathing.

It would suck not to make my
twenty-first birthday because I didn’t fold the towels just right.

And again, I froze.

Was he that neurotic? Or was it
just the closeness?

“On a scale of one to ten…” I was
proud of the way I kept the shaking out of my voice. Why was I so scared? Oh right,
because he’d pointed a gun, no, shoved a freaking gun into my stomach and done
it with a smile on his face. “How OCD are you?”

An easy laugh escaped him as he
glanced around the movie theater lobby and then back at me. “What makes you
think I’m OCD?”

“Things.” I gulped then forced a
smile that I didn’t feel. How was I supposed to go through an entire movie
knowing he was one uncomfortable conversation away from losing it? “So?”

“What can I get you?” A teen boy
looked at Sergio then smiled wider when his eyes fell to me.

Immediately, Sergio wrapped a
protective arm around me, basically forcing my body to curve into his warmth.
“My wife and I will have two buckets of popcorn, two packs of Sour Patch Kids,
and a bottled water.”

I didn’t correct him about the
water.

“Wait.” Sergio held up his hand.
“Sorry, Dr. Pepper mixed with Coke.”

The teen scrunched up his face
then rung us up. His eyes fell to me again then back at the register, like he
was trying not to look but couldn’t help it, which was comical, since I didn’t
really think I was anything to look at.

When he handed Sergio back his
change I could have sworn I heard a growl from my “husband.”

As it was, he jerked the candy so
hard out of the kid’s hands that I was surprised he didn’t do a front flip over
the counter.

“He’s a boy,” I whispered under
my breath. “No need to shoot him too.”

Sergio glanced down at me,
muttered a curse. “He was staring.”

“He looked about one science
project away from solving world hunger via his mom’s basement… hardly the type
of guy that I’d date.”

“Date?” Sergio said it so loudly
the people in front of us waiting to show the attendant their tickets jumped
and then turned around. “What the hell do you mean date?”

Crap. I’d messed up again.

My palms went sweaty while my
face felt numb with fear. Regardless of how pretty he was to look at — I was
finally fully aware of how dangerous he was to me.

To everyone around me.

Sweat trickled down my lower back
as I gulped down more soda and shrugged. “I just mean, he’s not my type.”

“No shit he isn’t, because you
don’t get a type anymore.”

“Right.” I licked my lower lip,
pretending not to be scared, pretending to be the brave person I wasn’t was
wearing on me.

By the time we made it into the
theater I was dizzy.

It was too much all at once.

“So…” Sergio’s voice was in my
ear. I jumped a foot. He frowned as if he couldn’t figure out why I’d be so
jumpy. “Dante sits behind you, right?”

“Right.” I exhaled in relief. I
forgot. It wasn’t a date. It was a challenge. He’d called me his sister, so
therefore he was my brother, right? Hah. I relaxed a bit as I pointed to a seat
a few rows back and quickly stole the goodies out of his hands then made my way
to my own seat before he could object.

The credits started rolling.

And I found myself ducking in the
chair.

The hair on the back of my neck
stood on end.

As if I was being watched —
because I was.

Ten minutes into the movie, I was
so stressed out, I almost burst into tears. My back was to him.

Wasn’t that a big no-no? My back
was to the dude with the gun.

Even though he was supposed to
protect me with the gun, all bets were off now.

Sweat pooled in the palms of my
hands.

The music rose as one of the
actresses ran down the stairs screaming.

I couldn’t take it.

And then, a body sat down next to
me.

Sergio gave me a suspicious look
then put a seat between us.

I exhaled.

But it wasn’t relief.

At least I knew where he was.

And where the gun was, he was
right handed, so there was that.

I finally allowed myself to relax
enough to watch the movie when I saw Sergio’s right hand duck into his jacket.

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